What's at stake?
The first ArtHop after the announcement of “Why Not Wednesday?” saw similar results as August’s ArtHop, with crowds, vendors, artists and food trucks missing from an event that once regularly attracted thousands of Fresnans and businesses alike to downtown Fresno.
Fresno’s new ArtHop event featured a small crowd and a growing sense of uncertainty and anxiety for the immediate future of ArtHop.
The Sept. 5 ArtHop was again missing the big crowds that regularly packed Fulton Street. The lack of vendors, food trucks and artists lining the streets made it clear just how much foot traffic was missing at an event that regularly saw thousands of people.
Not missing from Fresno’s new ArtHop was Joseph Adam Rodriguez, cofounder of ReHop Fresno. Rodriguez again set up a table full of art by him and his wife, Crystal Rocha. They were again protesting the changes made to ArtHop.
Despite city officials warning that unauthorized vendors would be fined, Rodriguez reported receiving no fine. In fact, Rodriguez claimed that when inquiring about this to code enforcement, they were told to ask the Downtown Fresno Partnership.
“When we called Downtown Fresno Partnership, they said the city should know their own codes and ordinances; we didn’t get an answer,” Rodriguez said.
“If the city doesn’t know its own codes and its own ordinances that you’re breaking, how can they enforce them?” he added.
Councilmember Miguel Arias and Elliot Balch, CEO of Downtown Fresno Partnership, were contacted but could not immediately be reached for questions.
Mike “Oz” Osegueda, president and founder of Fresno Street Eats, said the changes have hurt small businesses.
“This was their biggest night of the month, so when you take that away for any business, it obviously hurts them,” said Oz.
Oz also explained that the restrictions made to ArtHop regarding vendors and food trucks has forced him and other businesses to look elsewhere.
These changes haven’t solely affected downtown businesses. ArtHop was also the day that businesses in the Tower District used to invite vendors and artists into their spaces to sell and show off.
Priscila Perez, co-owner of Sour Milk Shop, said the changes led to confusion and caused people to think ArtHop was canceled.
“It’s been terrible, very few people came in [last month],” Perez said, “the people that did were so confused, like they had no idea what was happening.”
“Our ArtHop is very quiet now, very slow, very dead. Everyone thinks it’s over,” they added.
Perez also explained that the switch from allowing vendors on Thursdays to hosting them on Wednesdays excludes areas like Tower District who used ArtHop as an avenue to host their own events and bring in business.
“We put out a call for vendors and a call for artists three weeks before ArtHop and no one approached us,” said Perez.
Though the move from Thursdays to Wednesdays promises to bring services such as street closures, restrooms, vendor permits and an increased police presence, some are concerned on how well the city can attract crowds on Wednesdays after being used to Thursday ArtHops.
“I don’t know that it’s going to be as easy to pick up 15,000 people [and] get them to come a different day,” Oz said. “It’s going to be an uphill battle.”
Perez echoed this sentiment, saying it will take time for Wednesdays to grow their crowd sizes.
“It’s gonna take a lot of building like ArtHop did,” said Perez. “If it catches on.”
Disclosure: Mike Osegueda is also a member of Fresnoland’s Board of Directors.
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